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Emperor Jullien Tyce
Early Life Jullien Tyce (52 VE - 92 VE) was the fifth Emperor of Verenia and the last emperor from the Tycenian Dynasty. Jullien was the eldest son of Emperor Corbinian Tyce and Empress Batilda Florus, born under the reign of his grandfather Emperor Darian Tyce. Being born in his father's second marriage, Prince Jullien often found himself neglected by his father and was raised more by his uncle, Floridus Tyce, who taught him and his younger brother, Jason Tyce, the importance of the art of war and governance. Floridus had sired several bastard children around the same time as Jullien's birth, and Jullien befriended them in his youth, frequently joining them on the field of battle as adults. By the time Jullien turned 17, he had lived through and witnessed the plagues, famines, and rebellions that visited Verenia during the 50s and 60s, most notably the Famished Rebellion. While Jullien was only 12 at the time, he was present at the Dumbarton Massacre in 64 VE and was awed by the power of a full army in action, a reaction that disparaged his father's fate in his son. Jullien had hoped that his relationship with his father would improve after the death of Emperor Darian in 72 VE, with Jullien now being the official heir to the Verenian throne after his father Emperor Corbinian. However, the prince would be proven wrong in 80 VE during the fourth Parade of Kings, where Emperor Corbinian announced his decree of military reforms along with ordaining that the line of succession shall pass through Jullien's half sister, Jocelin Tyce, instead of himself. Ascension to the Throne Enraged at this decision, Jullien never returned to Linares while his father ruled, living instead with his mother's family, the Florus Dynasty, in Yoros with his younger brother and various cousins. There he worked with the Florus Dynasty to build alliances across the Empire, most notably with the Syed's in the south with the help of his aunt Felicitas Tyce, the wife of Barret Syed. In 81 VE, Jullien's uncle and mentor, Floridus, travels to Yoros in support of Jullien, but tragically dies in a severe storm as he passed through the mountains. This death, along with the death of his grand-aunt Queena Tyce and grandmother Verona Asta left the two brothers more and more isolated from the rest of the Tyce Dynasty. In 85 VE, Jullien's father Emperor Corbinian Tyce died of a heart attack in his room. Jullien quickly received word that in his final hours, his father wrote that he would succeed him, not Jocelin, and that Jullien was summoned to Linares to accept his throne. Quickly, Jullien and Jason flew into Linares and he was crowned as Emperor Jullien Tyce only a few days after his father's death. About two weeks after Corbinian's death, Jocelin Tyce came to Linares with a small force of Osborn soldiers, only to find that Jullien had beaten her to the throne. The Osborn's were pushed back and Jocelin fled to Jaltia where she and her family was hidden by her father-in-law, Randall Osborn, who ruled the region. There they would secretly garner support for their cause as Jullien searched for them to eliminate competition. Beginning of the War In 87 VE, Randall Osborn dies of natural causes and a spy reveals to Emperor Jullien that Jocelin and Bayard Osborn had assembled an army at Falstaff in the hopes of ousting him. In response, Jullien assembles a small army lead by him and marches towards Falstaff to arrest his half-sister and end the rebellion before it escalated into war. They were met at the Sweetwater bridge by an army led by Radomil Osborn, Randall's brother and the elder of the Osborn Dynasty. Emperor Jullien declared his intentions and Radomil said he could not allow the Emperor to advance into Osborn territory at the head of an army. At the encouragement of Calvert Florus, Jullien ordered his men to charge into the enemy army, thinking that they would immediately surrender to their Emperor to avoid war. However, the rebels stayed defiant and the charge broke against their shields, resulting in a clear victory for the Osborns and the death of Calvert Florus in the charge. Emperor Jullien retreated back to Linares and called the banners to defend the Empire. War had begun. After the allies had been called, notably the Florus' in the north and the Syed's in the south, Emperor Jullien started his campaign against the Osborn rebels. He traveled to Auriel, where the Neinna family had not yet completely joined the fight against the rebels in order to convince them (or force them) to join the Emperor's forces. Jullien received a warm welcome from the Neinna's, as he is the great-grandson of Leondrea Neinna, but their commitment to his cause remained tepid. Jullien's goal would shift after hearing word of Bayard Osborn arriving at Terav to secure loans for the rebel cause, something that absolutely cannot happen. Jullien sets sail from Auriel and heads to Terav, where the guilds force Bayard to leave in order to prevent a battle in their city. The two fleets meet in the middle of the Rock Sea and clash in the Battle of the Rocks. As Bayard's fleet is less equipped for war, he is defeated and forced to land on Bellbrooke Isle and is besieged by Jullien. With the husband of Jocelin Tyce now trapped, Jullien believed he could end the war with a successful assault on Bellbrooke and the capture of Bayard. However, Jullien's assault would prove to be too rash and chaotic, allowing Bayard and his army to escape while Jullien retreated back to Terav to lick his wounds having allowed the enemy to evade capture yet again. While there, Emperor Jullien called on Terav's commitment to the Imperial Treaty and pressured them into giving the Empire a loan for wartime funds. When Jullien received word that his cousin, Chevell Florus, had reached Linares with a captured Esmond Osborn he sent his fleet back to Auriel and flew to Linares with a contingent of the Royal Guard to regroup. There he was reunited with his brother and the Florus family and attempted to extract information from Esmond. When Esmond refused to give up his secrets, Emperor Jullien ordered him executed and his head to be placed on spikes on the Linarian walls. Jullien and his army would remain fortified in Linares throughout the winter, as war continued to rage across the continent. The Siege of Linares As the winter began to retreat, Emperor Jullien began the beginning of the second year of the war with an attack on the nearby city of Tocwood, which was currently held by Stefan Lewis. The two armies clashed at the Battle of Bittlebridge with Jullien's army emerging victorious after the death of Geoffrey Stroud on the battlefield. Lewis' army retreated after the battle and Jullien was allowed to easily take Tocwood, which had opened its gates to him after his victory in Bittlebridge. Emperor Jullien and his brother Jason would station themselves in Tocwood for a few weeks as they prepare to march on Barlow. However, news soon arrived of the Imperial defeat at the Battle of Evan's Field, with a warning that the victorious Osborn army could potentially take Linares due to the lack of defense. Jullien left Jason in charge of the army at Tocwood and took half of it back to Linares to reinforce the city in case of an Osborn siege. Jullien's aunt, Felicitas Tyce also joined the defenders of Linares to be with her daughter, Neisa Syed, as her two sons had recently died in the Battle of Evan's Field. The Osborn army soon laid siege to the city, however Emperor Jullien denied peace talks despite the urging of his lead general Chevell Florus. The Siege of Linares would last throughout the entire year. The city itself was well prepared for a siege that could last years but recent losses during the war had left the defenders demoralized and under supplied. Tensions flared as winter began to set in late in the year and news reached the city of Baxter Osborn's victory at the Battle of Black Bay, which resulted in a blockade of Auriel and Terav and a cutting off of core Imperial supply lines for the city. Hearing that they would be running out of food, the urban peasantry began to spark into scattered food riots across the city, one of which saw the brutal death of Eloisee Florus at a dinner. Nevertheless, news of Jason Tyce's victories in the west against Stefan Lewis helped bolster the morale of the Emperor and his supporters. Jullien even offered peace negotiations to Bayard Osborn to exchange Rudella Tyce, who had been recently captured in Verak, but was denied as the Osborn's saw the city grow more desperate as food began to run out and the winter freeze set in. Seeking to end the siege, Bayard ordered the digging of several tunnels under the Linarian walls, hoping to sneak in soldiers and stage a surprise attack. However, an unexpected turn of weather caused the ice to melt earlier than expected and one of the tunnels flooded and collapsed, alerting the Royal Guard to their presence. As the Osborn's tried to abandon the tunnels, the city defenders attacked the camp on the other side, causing a brief skirmish and the capture of Thaddeus Osborn, Jocelin's second son. With Thaddeus' capture, the weakening of the walls, and news of Rudella's execution in Verak, Bayard became convinced that the time was right for a grand assault on the city to end the war. The Battle of Linares and Victory The Battle of Linares began early in the morning. Emperor Jullien stood with the defenders and Chevell Florus at the main gate, preparing for an assault, while the members of court packed into the Palace for protection and the Royal Guard kept the populace under control. Using some undiscovered tunnels, Bayard sabotaged the walls by collapsing the tunnels underneath them, further weakening them so that a direct assault led by Asher Osborn could quickly bring down the main gate. Within an hour of the initial attack, Emperor Jullien had abandoned the main gate and retreated back into the city while Mercer Florus was ordered to hold off the attackers, only to quickly fall as Asher's vanguard poured into the city. Fighting would devolve into brutal close quarters combat through each street of the city, centered around the main position in the Plaza of the Stars. Jullien fled back to the Palace to find the rest of the Royal Guard while Chevell held the Plaza. In the fight, Lampert Florus fought Asher Osborn in a duel, but was struck down by the enemy commander. The court, seeing the Emperor falling back to the Palace, hearing the news of Mercer's death, and seeing the artillery on the walls being turned on the Palace, grew panicked and chaotic. Neisa Syed tried to flee the Palace with her son Marquise to escape via the docks, but was soon killed by a piece of falling rubble. With her last child dead, and not knowing Marquise had survived the rubble, Felicitas Tyce also abandoned the safety of the guards and flew into hysterics. Felicitas eventually found herself in the room of Thaddeus Osborn, who had been locked up following his capture, and tried to convince him to tell his father to abandon the assault. She also discovered that it was Thaddeus who had killed her son Lucian at Evan's Field and in a fit of rage, stabbed the young boy to death and proceeded to throw herself out the window. When all seemed lost, Jason Tyce and his army appeared outside the city walls and smashed into Bayard's rear flank, cutting the army into two and trapping Asher's forces in the city. Seeing this, the Imperial army found a new sense of morale and Emperor Jullien led the Royal Guard in a charge on the Plaza of the Stars. There they successfully pushed back the Osborn army, with Asher Osborn dying at the hands of the Guard during the fighting. With Asher's demise, Bayard ordered a retreat of the rest of the army, staying back with several thousand soldiers so Jocelin and Cerdic could escape with the rest. Jason tried to pursue the two as they fled, but was stopped by Ryland Osborn. The two fought a brief duel and mortally wounded each other. Jason bled to death trying to chase down Cerdic while his army destroyed the remaining Osborns behind him. Emperor Jullien joined the fight outside the walls as it began to end, eventually finding a wounded Bayard on the field and subsequently executing him on the spot. While the victory was momentous, it would be dampened by the discovery of the deaths of Jason and Felicitas, as well as the numerous other losses on the battlefield, rendering it a rather hollow victory. As the surviving Osborn army retreated, Jullien and Chevell pursued them to Falstaff, where they found an enemy too tired to put up a fight and they surrendered. Jocelin Tyce is imprisoned and burned at the stake for her crimes against the Empire, but Cerdic is nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, the surviving Osborns are imprisoned and Jullien marries Amelia Osborn at the advice of Rayna Osborn in order to keep the peace. Chevell Florus takes control of Jaltia and Emperor Jullien proclaims that Cerdic Osborn died at the Battle of Linares and that the civil war had ended with his victory. The "Reconciliation" While Baxter Osborn and Weston Lewis remained in open rebellion, with his children and Bayard's children in hiding, Emperor Jullien nevertheless marched back to Linares with his new Empress to begin the process of rebuilding after the war. Verak, Falstaff, Hafthor, and the Yiergashi lands were placed under heavy Imperial occupation, with Imperial pardons being offered to local nobles who may have fought against the Emperor during the war. The Imperial army itself was reformed to be more centralized, reversing the decisions of Jullien's father Corbinian. Rebuilding efforts were instituted in Linares, with Yoros, Verak, and Auras Dei's rebuilding delegated to the local nobles as the Imperial treasury was quite low. Emperor Jullien's rebuilding was not fully amicable as some might have hoped. With the loss of his brother, his two aunts, and many other friends and allies during the war, Emperor Jullien fell into a spiraling mentality of anger and paranoia towards his own subjects, demanding their loyalty under threat of punishment. A year after the Battle of Linares, Jullien went forward with the fourth Parade of Kings, proclaiming it as a victory tour across the Empire for all the people to see who was the rightful Emperor. Behind Jullien's back, it would become known as the "Parade of Pride" as Jullien would demand public swearings of fealty from local rulers as a way of showing his domination over them. In the regions that rebelled during this war, this parade was seen as especially offensive towards any sort of true reconciliation between the two factions and only bred further resentment. Even some of Jullien's allies grew dissatisfied with his rule after his victory. The Syed's were notably upset at the lack of appreciation from the crown for their sacrifices in the war and quietly turned their backs on the Emperor. It seems that the only vassal of Jullien that was happy with his administration Chevell Florus, who now commanded the most expansive amount of territory that any Imperial vassal had ever reached and enjoyed immense influence and power over Imperial politics. More Hostilities During this time, Baxter Osborn and Weston Lewis had taken the rebel fleet and adopted piracy tactics to avoid the judgment of the Emperor. Jullien assigned Admiral Norris to lead the East Fleet in capturing or killing the remaining enemy commanders. For almost two years, the fighting would be minimal, with occasional raids by the Osborns on trading ships only for them to dart back into hiding when pursued by Norris. Emperor Jullien suspected some of his vassals were aiding the rebels but could not prove it. It was not until 91 VE, when Weston Lewis, angered by being left in the dark about strategic plans and Baxter's alliance with Devereaux, defected to the Imperial side and returned Osmar Florus did hostilities fully flare back up. With Osmar's information, Admiral Norris and the Three Bastards were able to find Baxter's base of operations and assault it, resulting in the deaths of Baxter, Barnet, and Bennet Osborn in the attack. However, Cerdic Osborn, along with his sister Luelle and cousin Johan, managed to escape after killing Alric in a hippogriff duel above the island, thus prolonging the war. Cerdic's Revenge Cerdic and Luelle take refuge in Auriel where, with the assistance of Rayna Osborn, they are married off to Laurent and Luana Neinna in order to secure the armies of the Neinna, who had long been planning to overthrow Emperor Jullien. At the news of the survival of Cerdic, Jullien responds by calling the nearby banners and assembling a large army to squash the rebellion. He appoints Weston Lewis as the commander of his second army and personally leads the first. Jullien then marches to Elden Keep, opposite of Cerdic's army in Louden Castle and flanked by Perrin and Ferrand in Nightwell Castle to his southeast and Weston in Stadley Fort to his northwest, surrounding Cerdic. A small assault is launched to test the defenses, resulting in minimal casualties. Emperor Jullien settles in for a winter siege, hoping Cerdic won't last the winter, however things take a turn for the worse when the news of Chevell Florus' defeat and death at the hands of Vincent Syed in Jathe, also signifying the betrayal of the Syed forces against the Empire. With the new threat of a massive army marching quickly from the south, Emperor Jullien ordered an assassination of Cerdic and Luelle Osborn while they sheltered in Louden. Ferrand volunteered, but when his party snuck into the castle, Cerdic had already left to be treated for an illness. Instead Ferrand found Laurent Neinna and Luelle Osborn and attempted to carry out half the assassination, and was successful in slaying Laurent but was in turn killed by Luelle's cousin and bodyguard, Johan. Infuriated, Jullien ordered another assault, but it too was repelled, leaving his army weakened, demoralized, and stuck between Cerdic and Vincent's forces. As Vincent makes a dash march towards Jullien, Cerdic Osborn enters the field as a challenge to Jullien, a challenge that the Emperor accepts. On the eve of battle, Jullien's cousin and closest living friend, Perrin, abandons his flank due to the odds in the battle, leaving his flank weak and exposed to Vincent's forces unbeknownst to Jullien. The Battle of the Arid Path would be known as one of the most decisive victories in Verenian history as Vincent Syed's army slams into Jullien's exposed flank and the rear of the rest of the army, pushing Jullien towards Cerdic's stronger defenses. Weston Lewis would abandon the battle upon seeing Perrin's flank fall, leaving the Emperor alone of the field. In an act of desperation, Emperor Jullien mounted one last charge against Cerdic's line, leading it himself at the helm. However, the weak and scared soldiers would fall to arrow fire before even reaching the enemy line, Emperor Jullien among them. Jullien Tyce would die from several arrow wounds at the Battle of the Arid Path at the age of 40. Leaving no children behind, his death would mark the end of the Tycenian Dynasty, which had ruled Verenia for 92 years. In the aftermath of the battle, Jullien's body would be recovered and paraded through the countryside in an open casket as Cerdic Osborn marches into Linares, which would surrender to avoid a siege, thereby marking the end of the war. Cerdic would declare himself Emperor Cerdic Osborn as Emperor Jullien's successor in 92 VE.